You might have heard of “quiet quitting”, but now fed-up workers are getting loud and posting their resignations online for the world to see.

Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, are awash with clips showing users either sending their resignation notice by email, or telling their bosses directly that they’re quitting – the trend is called “loud quitting”.

Although some bosses appear to be supportive and take the news well, others have more negative reactions that back up claims of toxic work environments that have forced workers to leave jobs.

Aaron McEwan, vice-president of research and advisory at management consultancy Gartner, predicted this trend last year.

He said a combination of factors has led to more people embracing social media as a form of collective action.

These factors include record-high levels of confidence in the job market, increasing cases of burnout, wages lagging behind the cost of living, and backlash against return-to-office mandates.

“[Employees’] whole relationship with work has really changed as a result of the pandemic,” he said.

“They want to be treated fairly and with respect, and so in this environment [where they’re under mental and financial pressure] if they’re not getting that, then they’re happy to leave.

“What employees are now doing is sharing their experiences at work. And that could include quitting. It could include filming a boss being horrible. It could include talking about your experiences of being treated unfairly or poorly.”

He said “loud quitting” could help spread awareness about bad bosses or companies to work for, and encourage others to not put up with poor working conditions.

Quitting online, for all to see, is becoming a trend. Photo: TikTok

Long-term risk of loud quitting

There is a risk that posting a video of yourself quitting your job could potentially hurt your future job prospects as many companies examine the social media footprints of job applicants.

It’s up to each individual as to whether they’re willing to take that risk, Mr McEwan said.

But he expects the influx of #quittoks to continue as the videos spread to more people and encourage copycat behaviour.

“One person filming themselves quitting a job that was abusive or where they were treated badly, or the conditions were poor or unsafe – there’s a high likelihood that might motivate or encourage somebody else to do the same,” he said.

Latest figures from the ABS showed job vacancies in Australia were at 431,600, down 2 per cent from February 2023.